O'Hare conducts emergency drill

November 8, 2008 3:36:48 PM PST

CHICAGO --

Emergency crews held a drill Saturday to ensure they are ready if disaster strikes at O'Hare airport.City and state agencies, as well as ambulance and fire crews, took part in the drill. They practiced what they would do if a plane went off the runway and caught fire after landing.

More than 100 volunteers from Great Lakes naval base pretended to be injured passengers. The Federal Aviation Administration requires the airport to conduct such drills every three years.

"My heart always knows that we can do better. We try to do better, but today with what we were faced with, I think we did an excellent job," said District Chief John McNicholas of the Chicago Fire Department.

An outside group will evaluate how the emergency responders performed in Saturday's drill.